Chapter 6 - Learning Flashcards
Reflexes
- Motor/neural reactions to a specific stimulus
- Simpler than instincts
Instincts
- Behaviours triggered by a broader range of event (ex, aging, change of seasons)
- More complex
What is learning ?
Experience that results in a relatively permanent change in the state of the learner
Different types of learning: behaviourism
- classical conditioning
- operant conditioning
- observational learning
Pavlov’s experiments
Classical conditioning
Not a psychologist
Classical conditioning
When a previously neutral stimulus produces a reflexive response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally produces a response
Stimulus
- anything in the environment that is detectable through the senses
- elicits action
Behaviour
- response of an organism to a stimulus
- reflexive (classical conditioning)
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Stimulus that elicits a reflexive response (food)
Unconditioned response (UCR)
A natural unlearned reaction to a stimulus (salvation in response to food)
Neutral stimulus (NS)
Stimulus that does not naturally elicit a response
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
Stimulus that elicits a response aster repeatedly being paired with an unconditioned stimulus
Conditioned response (CR)
The behaviour caused by the conditioned stimulus
Basic principles of classical conditioning
Generalization, discrimination, habituation
Generalization
Something similar enough to the conditioned stimuli still causes a conditioned response
Discrimination
Ability to tell one stimulus from another
Habituation
If you get used to stimuli results in less response
Ex. Sensory adaptation
Little Albert
Watson experiment
1. Presented with neutral stimuli (rabbit, dog, rat, etc.)
2. Paired these with a loud sound every time Albert touched the stimuli causing fear
3. After repeated pairings, he became fearful of the stimulus alone
Mary Cover Jones
Study with 3 year old Peter who had a fear of rabbits
Successfully eliminates the fear response through conditioning
Biological preparedness
Propensity for learning particular kinds of associations over others
We learn quickly when we needed
Operant behaviour
Behaviour that an organism produces that has some impact on the environment
Coined by BF skinner
Operant chamber
Positive reinforcement (operant chamber)
Increases likelihood of behaviour
(Food)
Added
Negative reinforcement (operent chamber)
Increase likelihood of behaviour
(Remove shock)
Removed
Positive punishment (operant chamber)
Decrease likelihood of behaviour
(Shock)
Added
Negative punishment (operent chamber)
Decrease likelihood in behaviour
(Remove food)
Removed
Shaping
Learning that results from the reinforcement of successive steps to a final desired behaviour
Primary reinforces
Satisfy biological needs
Innate level (food, safety)
Secondary reinforces
Associated with primary reinforces
What makes sense to you
Ex. Giving money to a toddler as a reward, doesn’t mean anything to them
Continuous reinforcement
When ALL of the responses are followed by reinforcement
Good for quick learning
Rewarding everything, means nothing feels like a reward
Partial reinforcement (intermittent)
When only some of the responses made are followed by reinforcement
Takes longer to learn
Dopamine = waiting for the reward (anticipation)
Interval schedule
Based on time
Ratio schedule
Based on responses
Fixed interval schedule
Fixed time periods (same amount)
Fixed interval schedule
Fixed time periods (same amount)
Vareiable interval schedule
Randomized time
Fixed ratio schedule
Reinforcement delivered after a specific number of responses
Variable ratio schedule
Reinforcements delivered after a random number of responses
Latent learning
Condition in which something is learned but it is not manifested as a behavioural change until sometime in the future
Cognitive map
Mental representation of the physical features of the environment
Albert Bandura
Studied aggressive observational learning using the Bobo doll experience
Albert Bandura
Studied aggressive observational learning using the Bobo doll experience
